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The Weapons of Destiny

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Dantalian

Dantalian

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Orcris paced through his camp. He had checked on every sentry, every ballista, and every catapult, yet could still not shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong. For what was nearly the hundredth time, the half-elf carefully thought through everything in the camp, and was unable to find anything amiss. Sighing, he was about to make himself return to his tent and try to sleep on it, when he heard a collective gasp coming in the direction of the road leading to Harrier Capital. Hastened by his nervousness, Orcris nearly sprinted over to the barricade which blocked the way onto the bridge.

“Commander,” said one of the guards, making a feeble attempt at saluting.

“What's happened?” asked Orcris.

The guard gulped and pointed to the road. Orcris' gaze followed where the guard was pointing until he saw what had surprised them; standing in the center of the road, only a few meters from the barricade was a young woman clad in black armor, with long, red hair tied into a ponytail, and dark, leathery wings.

“If you guards are done gawking,” the lady said in an imperious tone, “I would like to speak with your commander. Go and fetch him for me, would you?”

“I am the commander,” replied Orcris.

“Well, the makes things easier,” mused the lady, “I'll introduce myself; I am Kutheostra, also known as the Ebon Fortress and am here to request your immediate surrender.”

Orcris found himself struck speechless by such a brazen request. Looking behind him, he could see the rows of defenses, he had in place, the siege weapons, the impromptu walls and barricades, backed with an army nearly two hundred strong. Even if Kutheostra had a large army, the fact that the battle would take place on a bridge would put her at a disadvantage; add in the defenses, and Orcris guessed he could hold out for at least a day.

“We refuse,” he answered. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

05-Jul-2011 00:13:40

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Kutheostra didn't reply, instead, her hand went to a large sword strapped to her back and unsheathed it. Orcris was surprised by the blade; he had been a swordsman since a young age, when his elven father had given him a shortsword as a gift. Orcris had loved this gift and made a point of practicing with it every day, usually under his father's tutelage. Hearing his father proudly remark that Orcris was a warrior-born, the half elf had been even more eager to further his swordsmanship. After his parents' death, Orcris had been spurred on further, in part for self-defense, and although he wouldn't admit it, in part, planning revenge.

Because of this, Orcris knew enough about swords to realize that Kutheostra's sword was of very unusual make. It's length was equal to her height, but was no thicker than an ordinary longsword. Even if the sword was made of tempered steel; one with such a design would be unwieldy and prone to breaking in battle. Adding the jewels which decorated the blade and the hilt, and the sword looked far more likely to be one used for ceremonies than actual fighting. Nonetheless, Kutheostra seemed serious about fighting with it.

The Zarosians looked at Orcris for their orders, but before the half elf could give any order to attack, Kutheostra swung her sword; bringing it down so quickly that her arm was little more than a blur. Orcris wondered about why she would do such a thing, then to his surprise, saw the crude, chest height stone wall he was standing behind become cut in two. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

05-Jul-2011 00:14:28

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The guards stared at the new hole in alarm, and Orcris himself was taken aback. “It can't be...” he murmured. He remembered that Isamu, Zaros' current greatest swordsman had mentioned that certain swordsmen were so gifted that with a single swing of their sword they created a wave of compressed air which could damage targets at a distance. Orcris had dismissed this as an exaggeration, but having seen what seemed to be a demonstration of this power, was having second thoughts about the matter.

“I guess I'll have to apologize to him later,” sighed the half-elf. “Guards, fire.”

The guards reacted quickly, notching their arrows as Orcris had finished saying “fire.” But apparently, Kutheostra's hidden troops reacted quicker, for no sooner had the guards notched their arrows than the same arrows were falling from nerveless hands, while the guards themselves slumped over, arrows embedded in their chests.

“I see you intend to fight,” sighed Kutheostra, “You might not live to regret this folly.” As Orcris gained enough sense to sound the alarm, Kutheostra punched the ground with incredible force, making a fairly large crater, causing the ground to shake and sending cracks spider-webbing throughout the ground, and, to Orcris shock, the stone bridge itself, parts of which fell into the vast canyon below. More alarming was the fact that the barricades seemed to be damaged by the tremors caused by this punch. Apparently, this was Kutheostra's intention, for she punched the ground again, further damaging the bridge and the barricades. With her third punch, most of the barricades collapsed outright. Looking behind him, Orcris noted that the majority of the siege weapons had also been rendered inoperable, but was thankful to note that his men had also noticed and were rushing to reinforce his position. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

05-Jul-2011 00:14:53

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“You have courageous subordinates,” observed Kutheostra, “Lesser warriors would've fled once they saw their defenses fall. However, there is a fine line between courage and folly, and you and your troops are walking that line.”

Orcris grit his teeth and drew his own sword, knowing that this wasn't the time for idle chatter. Even as he did so, black arrows shot from the jungle, felling some of the soldiers leading the charge. Just as they had been trained to do, Orcris' soldiers ran to either side of their fallen comrades, and quickly reformed ranks. On his part Orcris bided his time until his men had reached him, then, hoisting his sword into the air, he let out a battle-cry and led the charge.

As they closed on Kutheostra, a terrifying cackling began, which caused more than one soldier to break out in cold sweat, yet none broke their charge, all of them still rushing toward Kutheostra, who stood but a short distance from them, watching with a bemused expression. Before the troops could reach her, a wave of Asura warriors riding strange beasts broke from the forest, and quickly rushed to meet the Zarosian troops.

Kutheostra noted that more than a few of the Zarosians were shocked by the sight of her hyena riders, and correctly assumed most of them had not seen a hyena before. Not that it would've made them much less shocked; the hyena of the Pyriph desert of Niflheim grew to sizes near that of horses, and had frightened countless warriors. Watching as her riders met the Zarosians, Kutheostra noted that the Zarosians were having a rough time, not just because their opponents were more experienced and mounted, but also because they were used to only having to worry about the rider when fighting mounted opponents, whereas the large hyena that Kutheostra's troops used as mounts were more than capable of sinking their razor-sharp teeth through the places where the Zarosians' armor was thinnest. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

05-Jul-2011 00:15:15

Dantalian

Dantalian

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As a general rule of thumb, Asura favored war mounts that could fight together with their riders, although the four Dark Emperors, and the Dark Mother each favored a different mount, which was more suited to their terrain and strategems. Kutheostra favored the Pyriph Hyena which roamed the deserts she hailed from; tough and vicious, their teeth could puncture all but the toughest of armors, and they could survive multiple wounds without losing strength. They were the perfect fit for Kutheostra, who favored overwhelming her opponents with superior strength.

In all her years of fighting, Kutheostra had never managed to figure out why humans didn't seem to consider the possibility that a giant hyena might decide to snap at them while it's rider fought. Taking Mephos' Kelpies for granted made more sense. After all, a Kelpie just looked like a black horse... at least until it bit off your arm, or you found your hand stuck to its suddenly adhesive hide, while it dragged you to the nearest body of water. But for the love of all the dark gods, a Pyriph Hyena had razored teeth and only slightly less sharp claws, and was the size of a horse! There was absolutely no reason not to think of it as a threat. Yet, once again, it seemed an army of humans had done just that; and was being made to suffer the consequences. Many of the Zarosians were lying on the ground, with large, bleeding bites on various parts of their body. Kutheostra sighed to herself; but knew at least this fight would be over soon. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

05-Jul-2011 00:15:34

Dantalian

Dantalian

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Orcris had reached the same conclusion; that his men didn't stand much of a chance at this rate. He had quickly realized he was outnumbered and outmatched, and even though he had realized the threat that the large mounts the Asura rode were a threat, he had twice had his attention drawn away by the creature's rider, only to feel sharp teeth sink into him. Thankfully, he had reacted quickly, and as such, both bites (one to his left arm and one to his torso) had been shallow, but nonetheless both were open and bleeding wounds.

Of course, those wounds were the least of his concerns. For all his preparations, his defenses on the bridge would likely not last the day, and that Kutheostra's troops would be back on the march. However, he was not a commander in Zaros' army simply for his strength; Orcris possessed a keen tactical sense, and thus was able to realize that there was still a way to push back the Asuric army. Granted, it was nearly guaranteed to fail, and would likely cost him his life either way, but as some had realized early on, Orcris was a knight of Zaros, his life meant little if it was given in service for his god. Thus he fought valiantly, making his way toward Kutheostra, and without making any sounds audible over the din of the battle, leapt toward the Asura leader, aiming for her unarmored head.

Kutheostra had not seen the half-elf make his way toward her, and should she have been a normal person, Orcris' attack would've likely succeeded. However, Kutheostra was no simple warrior; like the other Dark Emperors she possessed a significant amount of magical power, and although she preferred fighting with her blade and strength more than her magic, she still saw the uses of said magic. As such, she had created a sphere of magical energy around herself which allowed her to detect anything in her immediate vicinity. Thus she sensed Orcris' brazen attack even though she had not seen his approach. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

05-Jul-2011 00:16:06

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
With a single motion, she skillfully side-stepped his attack, and, using her magic to engulf her blade in flame, sent it slamming into the half-elf's gut before he could recover his stance. The half elf took the brunt of the attack, and was sent flying, the wind knocked out of him, and his blade knocked out of his hand. Landing on the ground, Orcris was shocked to see Kutheostra already standing over him.

“It was a desperate plan,” she said, “But probably the best given the circumstances.” Bringing her blade over her head, she added, “Your rest will be a peaceful one, I promise you that.” and brought the blade down, aiming for the half-elf's neck.

For Orcris, it seemed time had slowed down, the movement of the blade toward his neck, which probably took only a second, if that, seemed to take hours, and just as it seemed to connect, his vision was obscured by green light.

When the light faded, he found himself looking up at the clear, blue sky. His first thought after that was that he must be in the after-life, his second thought was that if that was so, it seemed the after-life wasn't so bad, and his third thought was to note that there were still twelve suns in the sky, meaning he was probably still in Muspellheim.

Disoriented, he sat up, and found himself looking at Amatsu.

*That was a close call,” commented the warlock.

“What happened?” asked Orcris, feeling dazed.

“I teleported you and your troops to my camp,” the warlock replied, “We are about to begin the attack on Stork, and you and your troops would be a great help. Although, it looks like about half your forces were killed off. I'm guessing you ran into Kutheostra's army?”

“Yes, how are my men doing?” asked Orcris. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

05-Jul-2011 00:16:41

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“Concerned about them first?” mused Amatsu, “You're quite the responsible commander. As I said, from what I see, about half are dead, there are also a few others with physical injuries.” Orcris noted the emphasis put on the word “physical.” “Less than would be expected for such a large battle,” Amatsu continued. “The Asura generally refrain from fighting, but when they do fight, they fight to kill. It seems some of your men were quite shaken from the attack... I've decided to let any of them that want to, sit out from the attack on Stork. Of course, that invitation applies to you as well.”

“No,* said Orcris, “I'll fight. I must make up for my failure on the bridge.”

“Do as you like,” said Amatsu, “But don't blame yourself for what happened on the bridge, Orcris, the only soldiers we have who might have proved a match for Kutheostra and her troops are Azzanadra and Nex.”

Having said this, Amatsu walked off, leaving Orcris to prepare himself for the upcoming battle. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

05-Jul-2011 00:17:09

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Kutheostra looked over the battlefield; her enemy had disappeared, as had the corpses of their fallen comrades. There were a few casualties amongst her troops, but for the most part, her army had routed the enemy. Still, she found it odd that such a large number of people could be teleported away in such a precise manner. Even for one of the Dark Emperors, said to be among the strongest magic users in the universe, such a feat would be difficult. This reeked of some sort of high-powered intervention, or... Kutheostra paused. She was aware that there were a set of artifacts that could've done such a thing, but those were spread out across the universe itself, and to her knowledge only a few of the set had been found. And even so, only one should've had the power to perform such a large, yet precise teleportation.

Then again, that one is supposed to be one of the “found” ones, she reminded herself. Could it be?

Dreading to know, she contacted one of her subordinates in Stork Capital, and was quickly informed that the wall had been breached and that the barrier her troops had erected was near to being dispelled. Disturbed by this news, Kutheostra did not forget the reason she contacted her spy, and quickly asked if a man fitting a certain description was among the attackers. There was a pause, and then the spy replied that he was the one who had summoned the demon to break first the gate, then the barrier. Shaken by this news, Kutheostra thanked the spy and promised that she was making all haste to get to Stork, then severed the telepathic connection and sank to her knees.

Her troops immediately noticed this and rushed to her side to inquire what was wrong.

Kutheostra motioned them away, and once they had left, stared into the distance and said, “The Unknown help us. Amatsu Mikaboshi is leading our enemies.” "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

05-Jul-2011 00:17:24

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